Cardinals: Trevor Rosenthal hurt again, saves available
By Bill Pivetz
The Cardinals bullpen looked to be safe with the return of Trevor Rosenthal. However, he is dealing with arm tightness. Who will take over the closer role?
The St. Louis Cardinals are in lockstep with the Chicago Cubs for the National League Central title. The Cubs have them beat in offense but the Cardinals have the upper hand in the bullpen.
Unfortunately, things took a wrong turn when closer Trevor Rosenthal suffered from arm tightness on Wednesday. He will be examined by the team’s medical staff.
Rosenthal took the mound after three days’ rest but the extra time may have hurt him. Six of his eight pitches were clocked at 93.9 MPH, about 5 MPH slower than his season average. He allowed two runs on one hit and one walk.
More from FanSided
- MLB Rumors: Braves trade grade, Cardinals trade bait, Red Sox selling
- USMNT news: Turner to Forest, Trusty to Sheffield, Reynolds to Westerlo
- Inside the Clubhouse: What I’m hearing as the MLB Trade Deadline nears
- Yankees: Luis Severino has blunt assessment of another miserable outing
- Bills: 3 2023 roster holes that could cost Josh Allen a Super Bowl and why
I expect Rosenthal to find himself back on the DL. He is the most important piece in the bullpen and any long-term damage could end his career. He wasn’t drafted this season but was a top-12 relief pitcher over the last 30 days.
Moving forward, the Cardinals will likely use Seung-hwan Oh and Tyler Lyons in a committee situation while Rosenthal is out.
We’ve already seen Oh as the closer. After struggling in the first month, he posted a 3.15 ERA from May 1 until August 16. Oh has 12 saves and seven holds in that span. He is owned in 51 percent of ESPN leagues, so he’s out there for those looking for saves, but I don’t think he is the best in-house replacement.
Lyons is the Cardinals relief pitcher I’m targeting. In 38.0 innings this season, he has a 2.84 ERA, 1.105 WHIP, one save and 10 holds. Besides Rosenthal, Lyons is the only relief pitcher to have a K/9 over 10.0, 10.9 to be specific.
He also has a 3.3 BB/9, which is a little high but the lack of home runs and the high strikeout rate offsets the free passes. Lyons is owned in just 1.8 percent of ESPN leagues. In NL-only or deeper leagues, he’s worth a speculative add for save opportunities.
Next: Byron Buxton heating up, worth an add?
If you own Rosenthal, I would hold him until any more news is released. If he’s out just 10 days, then this is just a speed bump. Any longer and you have the free reign to drop him. You can’t afford to keep him rostered with plenty of other viable relievers on the waiver wire.